Moonlight
by legnawons
Summary: Castle and Beckett interrogate a suspect but end up cross-examining personal principles and beliefs. Castle ends up proving to Kate how she is his 'moon'.
1. Eventually

**Moonlight**

Summary: Castle and Beckett interrogate a suspect but end up cross-examining personal principles and beliefs. Castle ends up proving to Kate how she is his 'moon'.

Timeline: Season 3, post Anatomy of a Murder; but imagine Gina and Josh being non-existent in our beloved couple's lives.

**Chapter 1: Eventually**

"_Under a lover's sky, I'm gonna be with you, and no one's gonna be around.."_

"Monique Kirsten, age 22, bar singer. She has red hair and a medium build. Said she was pretty, and is the ex-girlfriend of the victim. They met at the…" Detective Beckett read her notes out loud enough for Castle to hear despite the volume of the music in the bar. She went on and on, not realizing that she could practically be talking to a wall.

Castle was enjoying the music and the scenery; perhaps too much that he did not even notice the detective's efforts to brief him on their suspect. Once his mind registered that he knew the song – in fact it was one of his favorites – his ears shut off all the other sounds, including the detective's voice. The bar was not like any other bar he had been in. It had some kind of 'homey' effect on him, like it somehow relaxes him. Then, his eyes focused on the woman singing on stage. "Oh, there she is."

"Oh, you noticed?" Beckett sardonically as she rolled her eyes.

Castle didn't notice the sarcasm though. "Yeah. And it's pretty convenient; our victim was a musician. That must have been their connection. They must have met somewhere...musical."

Kate looked at him with eyes exuding half-surprise and half-confusion. She examined his face and slowly shook her head. She saw a particular glint in his eyes that was absent before they entered the bar. She knew he was amused; she wasn't sure though which of two reasons: the bar's scenery or the girl. The suspect was a pretty face after all, so she's leaning more on the latter. "Yeah, Castle. Did you even hear a single word I said earlier?"

His head turned to her but his eyes remained glued to the woman on stage. "Yeah, I heard 'pretty'; and I guess you were right." He smiled.

"So the latter (the girl) it is." She stated before she even realized she said it out loud.

"What do you mean?" This time, he turned his full attention to her.

"Umm, uh, nothing." A strange twinge in her stomach puzzled her though. It was the weird feeling that she usually felt when she was jealous. _"What? Why would I be—No way." _She thought but decided to shrug it off.

"So, where do you think they met?" Again, his attention went back to the stage.

"Juilliard School of Performing Arts."

"Whoa, that's a long shot, detective…" He trailed off and looked as though he was in deep thought. She narrowed her eyes at him and raised her eyebrow. "You really think so?" He continued.

"_No_, I don't _think_ so; I _know_ so." She smirked when his head bolted and turned to her with confused eyes. "Ha! I knew it. You didn't even listen to a word I said." She turned to face him. And with each succeeding question, she took a step closer to him to emphasize her point. "What if we got separated by circumstance? What if the suspect was right in front of you together with dozens of other _pretty_ girls, huh? How would you know which one of those _pretty _girls is _the one_? What if you got so blinded by the _pretty _girl that you didn't even notice that she had a gun directed at you?" By this time, they were in each other's personal space, and breathing in each other's faces. Kate let out breath she wasn't aware that she held. She couldn't quite fathom why she felt so frustrated.

Castle gulped because he was beginning to feel nervous. He decided to mask it with a question. This question was followed by subtle flirtation. "Are you…jealous?" He looked straight into her eyes, and then his gaze slowly travelled down to her mouth, then back up into her eyes.

She quickly moved away and mentally shook herself. "What does jealousy even have to do with this?" She turned to him once again with an unconvinced and slightly frustrated expression on her face, and a voice that was slightly higher than her normal pitch.

He snapped his finger as he said, "There! You didn't deny it! You _are jealous_."

Her expression was wiped off her face. She began to feel the heat inside her make its way up to her cheeks, giving them a reddish color which she quickly hid by turning away once again. "Don't flatter yourself, Castle. I just didn't want your blood on my hands." She glanced at him then looked down.

"Do I detect actual concern for my well-being?" He regained his composure and put on a smug smile as he raised his eyebrow in question.

Kate Beckett never backs down from a classic banter; not with an ordinary man, and never with Richard Castle. She raised her brow and took a step closer as she found a clever retort. "You know how it goes, Castle, you watch me do paperwork. Death means more paperwork, and I don't want that any more than you do." She watched as his smug expression was wiped off of his face. She turned back to the suspect. It was her turn to smirk. She just loved to watch him squirm. He was silent for a while after. And this surprisingly made the detective uncomfortable. She was so used to him blabbing about anything and everything. She never thought she would actually miss it when he finally shuts up; she would never admit that though.

Neither of them noticed that they were still invading each other's personal bubble. "I'm glad we came in here when we did." Castle's voice startled her. It seemed like a loud and airy whisper since he was standing so close. She was waiting for him to explain but he didn't.

His breath tickled her ear and she took that as her cue to move away, but not farther than a mere step. "Why is that?" She asked when he didn't continue.

"Well, I just—I like this song. In fact, it is one of my all-time favorites. LeAnn Rimes's _Can't Fight the Moonlight_. It was played in the movie—" Castle started explaining but he was cut off.

"Coyote Ugly." She said. She couldn't help smiling when he stared at her in surprise. "What? I watched movies too, you know. But not as often as you do."

"Yes, that is a not-so-secret secret." He nodded in agreement.

"A what now?"

"A secret that isn't really that much of a secret." He felt childish pride wash over him.

The agreement was short-lived for argument triumphed yet again. "Then why call it a secret?"

"Because…" He attempted to explain but gave up instead when he couldn't come up with a good one. "Nah, I got nothing."

"I win." Beckett loves the feeling of victory, especially over Castle. "So, why do you like this song?"

"Well, it has a romantic ring to its lyrics. As you know, I may be a crime novelist but I have a knack for romance." He winked at her.

"Ugh." She wore a mockingly disgusted look on her face the rolled her eyes. "So…you can try to resist, try to hide from my kiss—" She started reciting lines from the song but was cut off.

"Oh, detective! You know I won't try to resist you, nor will I try to hide from your kiss! I would gladly give you one right now. All you have to do is ask." He smiled. He knew what she was getting at but he just couldn't help himself from flirting with her.

She sent him a glare that could pierce his eye sockets like needles, figuratively. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, how does that line represent romance? And what's so special about the moon and the light it gives off?" She raised her eyebrow as if she was challenging him.

"Well, the key is to not look at each of the song's lines per se; look at it as a whole masterpiece." He said with confidence. "Like a book. Take Heat Wave for example, you won't understand the entire story unless you've read all the pages." With this, he watched Kate show comprehension by nodding. "But then again, I bet you would agree with me when I say that page 105 could stand alone." This earned him a smack on the arm. But she let out a carefree laugh and kept the smile on her face so he quickly added, "Much like the line in the song that goes: There's no escape from love once a gentle breeze weaves its spell upon your heart_._" He looked straight into her eyes. He was hoping that she would get the message he has been trying to convey for a long time now. In his mind, he continued, _"No matter what you think, it won't be too long till you're in my arms…I hope."_

Their eyes locked in a moment that was similar to the "you'll-never-get-rid-of-me-I-love-you" scenario back at the precinct in their previous case. But that was coincidental; this was more…deliberate. His eyes never left hers. He was searching them for a sign showing that his message was delivered and received. He watched her expression change from relaxed to uncomfortable as she looked away. Conveniently, Ms. Kirsten had just finished her number and was about to exit the stage. "Great, she's done. Let's go have a talk with her." She was expressionless for a moment. She smiled hesitantly at him and then turned to walk towards the backstage. _"Whew. What was that just now?" _She thought then shook her head as she proceeded backstage.

He couldn't hide the disappointment he felt so he stayed there for a while to take a deep breath and regain his composure before he followed her. He had his casual expression back on. He decided to let it go and wait. She'll come around. It might not be now, but he believes that she will…eventually.

_Author's Note: I assumed that all the readers know what the song is and what page 105 of Heat Wave contains. But for those of you who don't, it contains the sex scene that had Dr. Lanie Parish reaching for ice water. :D_


	2. The One

**Moonlight**

Summary: Castle and Beckett interrogate a suspect but end up cross-examining personal principles and beliefs. Castle ends up proving to Kate how she is his 'moon'.

Timeline: Season 3, post Anatomy of a Murder; but imagine Gina and Josh being non-existent in our beloved couple's lives.

_Author's Notes: No major changes, I just couldn't stand having gramatical errors in my work. LOL. OC much? xD_

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**Chapter 2: The One**

Kate spotted Monique and walked in her direction but not until Castle was beside her did she start talking. "Monique Kirsten?"

"Yes?" The woman turned to them.

"Hi, I'm Detective Kate Beckett with the NYPD and this here is Richard Castle the author." She showed Kirsten her badge and offered her hand.

"Nice to meet you." After the usual handshake and greetings took place, she asked, "What can I do for you?"

"Well, we need to ask you some questions about—" Beckett was cut off by the shrill ringing of her phone. "Excuse us for a second." She waited for her answer. When Kirsten nodded, she took the call and moved away. Castle followed. "Beckett." She said once she had her phone up to her ear.

"Yo, where are you?" She found the question quite awkward and random, especially coming from Esposito.

She was reluctant but she answered anyway."At the bar with Castle. Why?"

"Already? Word sure travels fast."

"What do you mean?" Kate put the phone on speaker so Castle wouldn't keep pressing his ear to the other side of her phone.

"You're celebrating already."

"What are you talking about?" Confusion graced Kate's features.

"You know, it wounds me that you guys didn't even wait for me and Ryan. We were the ones who closed the case but you celebrate ahead of us. Without even inviting us. Tsk."

"Celebrate?" Castle asked. Both of them now wore the same puzzled expression.

Ryan's voice came sharp and quick. "Oh, unless it's a date." He trailed off. And when there was no response from the other end, he continued. "It is, isn't it? We're sorry for interrupting."

"It is _not_ a date." She stated forcefully. Her voice decreased volume as she continued, "We're here to interrogate a suspect."

"Yeah, ex-girlfriend of the victim." Castle added.

"Oh…" Both Ryan and Esposito felt embarrassed but mischief prevailed. "In that case, make it a date because our little trip to the Upper East Side broke the case wide open." Ryan's voice exuded pride.

"The victim's mentor is the perp. He killed our vic because he couldn't handle the fact that his protégé surmounted him in skill and fame. He's behind bars now and our case is closed." Esposito explained further what they figured out.

"Upper East Side? Wait, so you mean to say that our trip to DC was completely and utterly fruitless?" Castle asked in a pitch higher than usual.

"It wasn't that fruitless, Castle. At least you got to listen to your favorite song." Kate didn't know why but she felt like she wanted to comfort him.

The two guys on the other end of the phone call exchanged glances and smiles. "Well, we'll run along and leave you two love birds alone then." Ryan said then hung up.

"We're not—" Kate tried to counter that but all they could hear was the sound of the line cutting to a stop. She cleared her throat awkwardly and turned to their suspect. She smiled and said, "Sorry about that."

"No complaints here." She reassured them. "Now, you were saying…?"

"Oh, you have a lovely voice." Castle said quite hastily which made Kate roll her eyes.

"Umm, thank you." She was a bit hesitant though because detectives and authors don't excuse people just to say they have lovely voices.

Since she didn't know what else to say, she decided to continue what Castle began. "I agree. And, great song choice. It's his favorite, so…"

"_One_ of my many favorites." He corrected.

"What difference does it make? It's still a favorite, nonetheless." Kate defended.

"As a matter of fact, there is a huge difference. If you just say 'favorite', there's an ultimate sense to it, like it's above others. If you say 'one of many favorites', there's a sense of equality between and/or among the objects considered as favorites. Plural."

"The way you bailed on me earlier, the way you shut my voice out when you were listening to the song…I'd say it's your favorite." She smirked when his gaze faltered. "Gotcha." She raised her eyebrow, looking smug.

Monique Kirsten found them very amusing. She saw something between them and she could tell that they are an odd couple but they can't and shouldn't be separated. She laughed and this caught both the detective's and the author's attention. "Oh, sorry. You guys are just amusing." She put on her coat and added, "You're from New York, right?" They nodded. "Long drive. You know, you could stay the night. DC has a lot to offer."

"Oh, thanks but we have to go back." Kate politely declined the offer.

"Drinks then?"

"No, I'm driving." Aside from that, she was feeling tired and she wanted nothing more than to go home, have a hot bath, and succumb to sleep.

"Oh come on, Beckett, let loose! Don't worry, if you get drunk, I'll drive." Castle had his hopeful expression on.

"Nice try, Castle, but I'll never let you drive." She smirked.

He carried on with his childish antics. "'Never' is such a strong word, Detective."

"I mean it." Kate gave him the 'serious look'.

"Fine." He was being his 12-year-old self again; he didn't even try to hide his disappointment. She just smiled, rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "Well, if you're so worked up on letting me drive, then we'll get a room instead." His sudden gush of idea earned him an ear-pinch. "Ow! Apples, apples."

Kirsten laughed once again at the exchange unfolding before her very eyes. "I'll go on ahead of you two then. I have a curfew." She said with a wink. "Next time you guys visit, give me a call." She then waved and left.

Castle was rubbing his reddish ear. "You seriously have to stop doing that!"

"And you have to stop being such a man-child. I'm going home. If you really want to stay, take a cab home." She turned and started to leave.

Castle followed suit with a pout still gracing his face. "You're no fun."

"You're stubborn." She struck back without even looking at him. They exited the bar and were now on their way to the vast expanse of the parking lot.

"So are you." He stuck his tongue out, but since she had her back to him, she didn't see.

"Yeah? Well, that's what you get for choosing to follow a detective. If all you ever wanted was to have fun, then go follow an actress, or better yet, an escort." She continued walking. She didn't notice that she parked her car that far away until now.

"Nah, I'm good. I like our little 'arrangement' the way it is." He looked more relaxed now as he took deep breath and looked up to the sky. "Besides, I doubt that I could find a better muse."

That statement caused the detective to stop on her tracks. She was surprised to say the least. She turned to look at him but he didn't notice. He was busy admiring the sky – the moon and the stars. She studied his features carefully despite the fact that it was dark and that they were about three feet apart. She knew that deep within his childlike exterior was a man capable of caring, of loving. And looking at his moonlit face, she was sure that what she felt for him was love and it's as real as it gets. But it isn't time for that yet. So all she had to say for now was, "What did I say about you calling me your muse again?" She moved toward him slowly, and stopped when they were about a foot way from each other.

"Oh come on, you know what I mean." He said as he closed his eyes. His head was still facing the sky.

Indeed, she did. She smiled at him even if she knew he wouldn't see it. "Thank you, Castle."

He lowered his gaze from the stars to her eyes. If only her eyes weren't so green, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them and the stars. He smiled what was perhaps his best and sweetest smile. "That wasn't meant as a compliment." He said and watched her expression slowly fall as she nodded. He took two steps toward her and added, "It was the truth."

Her head shot up, her eyes grew wide. She noticed that the distance between them had decreased. She searched his eyes and found sincerity. She smiled. They stayed that way for what seemed like an eternity. Kate never noticed Castle's height advantage over her until now. But she was glad that they could still see eye-to-eye without their necks aching from extension and/or flexion.

After a few seconds that seemed like decades, she spoke, "You still haven't told me what makes the moon so special though..." She trailed off but then added, "You're not scared that I might refute your arguments, now are you?"

"You sure know how to ruin a moment, don't you?"

She grinned at him. "Maybe. But you're changing the subject."

"Okay," he said as he looked up at the moon for some impromptu inspiration. "(1) The moon, for me, is a symbol of strength. It lights up even the darkest of all nights. (2) It shows humility because despite its beauty and the stronger light that it could reflect, it chooses to shine just bright enough to counter the darkness; it does not boast its power the way the sun does. (3) It is an obvious display of beauty in the night sky. There are billions and billions of stars present in the black velvet expanse up there; yet when one looks up, it's the first thing that catches one's eye. (4) It is selfless for it shows only its light side. It does not allow its dark side to burden those which it reigns over, but keeps its secrets hidden for it to carry the burden instead, while being compassionate to those who are troubled below. (5) It is dedicated to its obligations of lighting up the night sky every single night." He paused for a bit to look down and observe her features. "The way I see it, the moon does not only have a mind of its own for wisdom alone…" He trailed off as he searched her eyes. "It also has a heart for emotions, for love." When he finished, he watched as Kate slowly turned her gaze from the sky to him.

They were lost in each other's eyes. Swirls of blues and greens glittered with a passion that they've never experienced before. As Castle searched Kate's eyes, he saw a mutual feeling, but along with it came one that he knew he needed to understand – fear. After all, love and fear are somewhat interconnected. She was scared and he knew why. He spoke again without tearing his gaze from hers.

"Love comes accompanied by fear most of the time. And I can tell that you're scared. I was too, and I still am. I'm scared of letting this moment with you pass without trying. I'm scared of trying and getting rejected. I'm scared of getting rejected and losing you. But above all, I'm scared of finding out that you wanted this too, after losing you because I was too scared to consider being honest about how I feel about you." He looked at her with that intense gaze that made her avert her gaze and bow her head. He moved his hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and lifted her chin with his index finger to make her look at him. "Kate, what's special about the moon is that it's _the moon _without even trying. And I love it so much because it reminds me of you. You are a tough, strong woman. You are humble despite all the things you have above others. You are beautiful even without that conscious effort of trying too hard. You are selfless and compassionate to the victims in each of our cases. You are dedicated to your job as if it was your life's purpose. You are smart in more ways than one. You brighten the darkest of my nights with just your presence, and make it the happiest with your smile. And you have a heart…one that I hope has a place for me in it." He smiled weakly, unsure of whether being happy that he finally got to tell her everything that has piled up since day one.

"Castle, I—"

"I am not asking you to do anything. I just wanted you to know everything I've kept inside before I lose my chance to say it. The moon is here for a reason, to light up the night. And you are _that_ to me. I'm just wishing that you would do me the honor of being mine, to light up my life. Kate, I love you. I have been in love with you for a long time now. But if you don't feel the same way, it's okay. I just hope you won't kick me out of your life for good. It's enough for me to be in your life, even if it's just as a friend or as merely your shadow."

"Wow, Castle—"

"There, I said it. Now, I'll take a cab home to bask in my shame. Good—" As he was about to bid his goodbye and turn to leave, he was stopped by Kate's sudden movement – she reached for the lapels of his coat and pulled him down in a kiss that sent both their minds spiralling down as the dam that once kept them apart broke. Castle was too shocked to react, and before he could, Kate pulled away. He tried to hide his disappointment but his voice gave it away. "Wha—What was that for?"

"To shut you up." She smirked with a raised eyebrow. "I've been trying to say something but you kept on cutting me off. I couldn't think of a better way to stop you from continuously babbling till my ears can take no more." She dropped her hands to her sides.

"Oh, sorry." He looked down. "You could have shouted or punched me…those would have worked." He said as he found his feet interesting as he rubbed the soles of his shoes against the concrete, the way a little boy would when guilty.

"Oh yeah, and you would have wanted that instead of what I just did?" She was amused by how cute he was when he was playing at his childish antics.

"No." He said as he pouted a bit.

"I thought so too." She smiled at him. "Hey," she said as she waited for him to look at her. And when he didn't, she placed a hand on his chest and used her index finger to raise his chin a bit. "Hey." He was now looking at her. "What I wanted to say was…you didn't need to come up with that speech. All I needed was a sign from you that says you're in it as much as I am. I knew you felt something but I wasn't about to follow my instincts and jump up on board with you. I needed to know that you wanted me as much as I wanted you. I needed to make sure that you love me…like I love you." She tilted her head to the side to look at him with a certain expectation. When he didn't say or do anything in response, she began to feel stupid and cold. "Aren't you going to say something…?" She mentally cursed herself for letting her voice break like it did.

Richard Castle could not believe what he just heard. At that moment, he had a feeling of joy that he could not contain. And somehow, it caused his speech to become dysfunctional. He opened his mouth but no words came out, no sound came out. So he resorted to shaking his head. As he did this, he closed the distance between their bodies, gently grasped her face, and closed his eyes as he kissed her with all the consciousness he had left. His hands tangled in her hair, and trailed down her back. Her hands found their way up his chest, around his neck, and tangled in his hair. They pulled each other closer as their kiss deepened. Mouths opened and tasted, exploring unknown territories. And when they felt the need to breathe after what seemed like an eternity to both of them, they pulled apart, heavily panting as their lungs were desperate for air.

"Wow. I've never.. kissed like that." Castle said in between breaths.

Kate smirked despite heavy breathing. "I told you that first day, didn't I? _You have no idea._" She bit her lip and winked at him. She turned to walk towards her car.

"I'm sure that sooner or later, I'll find out." It was his turn to smirk now. He walked toward her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She leaned back on his chest and closed her eyes. "We are in for the ride of our lives." Kate just smiled as they started to sway slowly under a lover's sky. "Oh and Kate?"

"Hmm?" She answered without opening her eyes.

"Your question earlier about how I would know which one of those pretty girls is _the one_…"

"Yeah?" She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"The answer is I wouldn't. Because _the one _for me…is you. Those other girls are the stars in the night sky, and you, my love, are the moon." They shared a smile as he bent down and kissed her lightly. They then stayed that way for a while before Castle said, "Oh, on second thought, maybe you are the moon, and the stars would be little Castles and little Becketts." He grinned.

"WHAAAAAAAAT?" Was all that was heard after that. (And maybe a little snicker from Castle.)

**The End.**

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_Author's Notes: I am really sorry it took me this long to update. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as I enjoyed writing it. I hope it was worth the wait. Worth enough to leave review? :D_


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